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China: Preacher Sentenced to Two Years Imprisonment for Distributing Gospel Literature

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A house-church preacher in Guandong, China, has been sentenced to two years imprisonment for conducting “illegal business operations” by distributing his church’s Christian literature, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

Preacher Deng Yanxiang of the Shengjia House Church in Foshan, Guandong was sentenced by the People’s Court of Shunde District in Foshan on January 17, ICC reports. “The charges were tied to the church’s publications, including Daily Bible Readings and Interpretations, which were sold and distributed to locals,” ICC said in its report.

Local believers have attested that the Chinese government often uses the “illegal business operations” catch-all to hinder the evangelical activities of house churches.

In a website statement referencing the attitude of the Chinese government toward house churches, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy group explains: “Unregistered churches, even those once tolerated, are considered illegal and increasingly put under pressure, as authorities seek to enforce regulations and tighten policies. State-approved churches come under strong ideological pressure, and smaller congregations are often forced to merge to make a larger church that is easier for the state to control.”

Preacher Yanxiang will be released in May as he has been in prison since his arrest in August 2023, ICC said.

Ruled by the authoritarian Chinese Communist Party, China ranks 15 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2025 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

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